Tips for Keeping your Van Secure over Winter

As winter starts to take hold and the nights get darker, crime will start to increase. This is a particular issue for van drivers, whose potential valuable assets make their vehicles a prime target for break ins and theft. On average, 30 vans are stolen every day and those figures are only increasing.

To combat this, you need to be aware of what you can do to keep your van and your tools as safe as possible. This means behavioural changes as well as potentially making some investments into gear and security measures that will save you money and time in the long run.

We have decided to put together a list of things you can look towards doing that should help reduce your risk while not impacting your livelihood or any major changes to how you conduct your business. After all, time is money.

• Make sure your security is up to date. With most modern vans, alarms and immobilisers come as standard, though it’s always worth checking as some do not. You should also check these systems are at least category 2. However, if you are working from an older van, make sure you have an alarm installed and that it is enabled and that the locks are secure. You may also want to look towards a GPS tracking system for your vehicle. While expensive, they could end up saving you more than they cost if the unfortunate does happen.

• Strongboxes. When on the job, strongboxes are a really useful resource. They keep your tools secure and remove the chance of a ‘snatch and grab’ from opportunists if you forget to fully lock your van while on a job. The main downside to them is that weight though, meaning that they add to your payload weight so if you routinely carry heavy tools or materials, it’s something you need to be aware of. Being aware of your payload weight is something that you should bear in mind anyway and always be cautious that any people you need to carry for the job will factor into that weight!

• Don’t leave valuables in or visible in your van. Always remember that most theft is opportunistic in nature so do not make it easy or obvious. Hide important items from view when at work and take them from the van when you head home. Shut the door where you leave the van on a shift and keep any valuable tools out of an easy grab reach. Move them to the back of the van, keep them covered or locked up, that sort of thing. With vans always being a prime target for thieves, try and reduce the chances where possible.

• Park with theft in mind. While finding a parking spot is usually a problem when on the job, try and think about how visible and easy to access your van is. If your van is on a busy street with good lighting, it’s less likely to be a target as any strange behaviour would be more likely to draw attention. Be aware of CCTV car parks as well as these are far more secure than a street. It obviously adds walking distance to your job so these aren’t always possible.

These are just a few tips to bear in mind when out on shift or when locking up for the night. Theft will cost you time and money so making the necessary precautions, while potentially costly and time consuming now, will help save you money in the long run. Most of these tips are just common sense though and really the main tip is just to be proactive and not fall into bad habits. Be safe and secure out there.